Football fans and experts have sympathised with NI-born player Jamie Donley after his “strike of a lifetime” at the weekend was credited as an own goal by the opposing team’s goalkeeper.
The 20-year-old Antrim-born Leyton Orient midfielder spotted Manchester City custodian Stefan Ortega off his line and launched a remarkable 40-yard chip that ended up in the back of the net, with the home fans dreaming of an FA Cup upset.
But because the ball struck Ortega after coming back off the crossbar, a strike described by commentators as one of the best FA Cup goals ever scored will forever have the German goalkeeper’s name on it.
Wayne Rooney of England before the UEFA Euro 2004 match between France and England at Estadio Da Luz on June 13, 2004 in Lisbon, Portugal (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Several football fans, however, pointed out online that England superstar Wayne Rooney had a similar effort against Switzerland credited to him in the Euro 2004 finals after his shot hit the post and went in off the back of Swiss keeper Jorg Stiel’s head.
A Uefa spokesperson said at the time: “The original shot was on target, so we confirm that Rooney is the scorer.”
On-loan Spurs player Donley’s thunderbolt was similarly “on target” but, unlike Rooney, it won’t count as a career goal, because, these days, “on target” does not include hitting goalposts or the crossbar.
“It is a shame that has gone down as an own goal,” said Orient manager Richie Wellens. “It is not deserved and I am sure Ortega doesn’t want it. It is one thing seeing a keeper off his line; it is another executing it the way Jamie did.”
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown described Donley’s effort as “absolutely remarkable, the strike of a lifetime. To even think about shooting from that far out — wow.”
Ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton added: “It was absolutely sensational, and one of the greatest FA Cup goals. But it will go down as an own goal.”
Even City boss Pep Guardiola praised Donley: “What a fantastic shot — the quality, the technique, the speed, the flight of the ball.
“When you concede a goal like this, you just have to congratulate Donley. He’s an incredible left-footed player and he made a fantastic goal.”
After the game, Donley himself did not seem to be aware that the goal had not been awarded to him.
“Did I not get it?” he asked a BBC reporter, adding: “I knew I hit it well and it had a good chance of going in. It fell for me nicely. I saw Ortega off his line and luckily it went in.
“It was a very happy moment for me. It would have been a lot nicer if we had won, though”.
Donley’s strike gave unfancied League One side Leyton Orient a 1-0 half-time lead at the Gaughan Group Stadium, but Premier League champions Manchester City ultimately staged a second-half comeback to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Despite being born in 2005 in Antrim, where his father is from, Donley, who played for Northern Ireland at junior level, is unlikely to receive much sympathy from the ‘Green and White Army’.
Having lived in England — the birthplace of his mum — for most of his life he, much to the disappointment of Northern Ireland fans, switched allegiance to the ‘Three Lions’.